Trapped Within a Web
by Aria of Clarets
Summary: How long is an eternity? Has it passed? I hear time slipping away; I hear the seconds, minutes, hours ticking hence. Months turn to years, years turn to centuries, and centuries turn to millennia. I can no longer remember the date. I am stuck here, stuck without hope in sight. Warning; cursing, violence, mild gore and dark themes. AU, AmeBela


**[Takes place in an AU I made, notes at the end. Loosely based off of the visual novel 'Juniper's Knot' by Dischan (which I do not own, nor am affiliated in any way), I highly recommend that you read it if you have the time. I honestly have no clue why I chose America and Belarus for this. I tried with Norway and Iceland, but that didn't work out. I really wanted to make a NorIce, but whatever.]**

**~*~*~*The Spinners of the Web*~*~*~**

Trapped, cornered, snared. I am stuck, stuck in a damned spot for time without end. How long is an eternity? Has it passed? I hear time slipping away; I hear the seconds, minutes, hours ticking hence. Months turn to years, years turn to centuries, and centuries turn to millennia. I can no longer remember the date. What point is there to do so? I am stuck here, stuck without hope in sight.

How many blue moons have passed? How many eclipses? I lost track; and my sense of time has faded to the point where I can no longer count the seconds. How many seconds are in a minute? How many minutes in an hour? I cannot revoke the knowledge anymore. Well, it is not like it would do me much good to keep bearings of such trivial matters.

I am jaded of living. I have spent oh, so much time in this fucked-up shit-hole. It used to be a somewhat attractive building, but eventually, it suffered the wrath of time; walls cracked, the ceiling collapsed, the floor rotting to reveal the foundation; the works, and now, it is nothing more than a condemned skeleton of its former beauty. It doesn't matter; no one would come anyway to a faded edifice that housed an imprisoned occultist.

Oh? What is that sound? It's not natural, well; at least I don't believe so. Footsteps, perhaps they are? Excitement floods me, as I look around keenly for a sight of a silhouette. I hold my breath, keeping my eyes fixed on a large crevice in the wall. I squint slightly, the bright morning sun shining brightly against the pale, azure sky. Eventually, a figure emerges from a hole in the wall. I tense up eagerly, hoping that they will see me. As they come closer, I can perceive them more clearly.

It is a male, mayhap in his early adult years, with glasses and is rather tall. I don't recognize his clothing that well. It looks rather…odd, to say the least. However, the fabric looks quite posh though. I frown a bit, have I truly been away for that long?

The stupid boy hasn't seen me yet, so I speed up the process. "Oi, lad, look hither, I'm here."

Like a fool, he stops in front of me and pouts a bit. "Who're you calling 'lad'?"

I roll my eyes, and gesture for him to move closer. For my first words in centuries, I daresay, they aren't too appalling.

Reluctantly, he steps closer. He is probably two heads taller than I.

"What do you want?" he asks, in a somewhat annoyed voice.

"What do I want? Hum, that is a rather expansive query, hence I shan't rejoinder that. Nonetheless, I do want to discern a few things, such as, whence are you from?" I say relatively blandly.

He raises a brow at me. "What'd you say?"

"Are you underdeveloped? Slow? I asked: whence are you from? Is that not clear?"

"Yeah, you speak really weirdly."

"Tut-tut! I am speaking perfectly fine! You are just an ingrate. Essentially, I asked where you are from. Is that simple enough for you?"

Eyeing me warily, he shakes his head. "Why should I tell you?"

"I am bored! Dissatisfied, world-weary, and I long for some quality amusement. You shall do for the time-being."

He frowns again, but opens his mouth to answer. "I'm from a farm."

"Ooh, a grange. How thought-provoking and entrancing! I meant, what municipal or constituency do you originate from? What area of Evenia are you from?"

"Evenia?"

"Aye, you know that nonsensically outsized empire that rules over everywhere else?"

He gives me a blank look. "Evenia…it's been dead for centuries."

I am certain a look of shock must have crossed my face, as the boy gave me a curious look. "Eh…Miss?"

Incensed, I snap at him. "Lad, look at me. Are you telling me that Evenia is no more? Chap, for how long, dammit?!"

He backs away. "F-for centuries, Miss!"

Hissing, I stay quiet. How much time has passed?

"U-um…Miss, I'm from Malin, Ekronia."

"I haven't the faintest idea where that is."

"It's in the south-west, just north of here."

"Pah! You expect me to know where hither is? How jocular!" I laugh spitefully.

He gives me a bothered look. "I'm leaving now."

"Ah, spare another moment of your time, lad."

He shakes his head. "You're a witch, aren't you?"

I am sure he meant it as an affront, but it was true. So, I toss my head back and laugh some more. "Aye, lad! What bequeathed that away, hm? Of course I am an enchantress!"

At my words, he backs away swiftly. "I'm really gonna leave now."

I stop my laughter, and gaze at him sharply. "Lad, come back here."

"No, Miss."

"'Miss'?" Are you implying that I am a sort of imp? You brazen bastard!"

"N-no! Not at all! 'Miss' is just a title for a y-young lady."

I relax a bit. "Oh? Hum, I suppose that is adequate."

"What do you want?"

"Ah, lad, keep me companionship. I am oh, so jaded here, and you are one of the first to have spoken to me, so I shan't let you go so fast, aye?"

"Alright then, I'm lost anyway."

"'Alright'…what the hell does that puerile term mean, lad? I daresay that is the first time I have ever perceived it."

"It means okay."

"Ta! This language changes far too often!"

"Maybe you're just too old!"

"Me? Old? Oh, I wonder how you gathered that."

Fuming, he looked away stubbornly. "Is someone pissy?" I taunted.

Still, he doesn't look over to me. I feel a terse frown forming. Was I too abrasive? Or, am I just repulsive? Saddened and discouraged, I quietly sit on the furthest edge of my prison from him. Is it so much to ask for? I only want someone to fancy me, whether it is romantic, platonic; it matters not. I have been forlorn in this caged hell for what must have been an eternity.

"Lad…may I give you one more query?" I ask quietly, and somewhat meekly.

"What now?"

"Your name…I desire to know your name, if…if it is not too much to ask for…."

"Why're you so meek now? Trying to pull a trick on me?"

"A-a trick…? Oh no! No, I am not! I…I am merely curious, that is all. You can tell me your surname, or…or…your given name…"

"Alfred…"

I move a tad closer, near the edge of my penitentiary. "Odd..."

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

"O-oh…."

We sit in silence for a while, and I find myself studying the boy. A fiery feeling resonates loudly within me. I can't help but wonder why, it feels so much like the sensation I had felt with Brother, but that fire has long since it last burned brightly and strongly. This sentiment is aflame now. It rekindles my lonely soul, well, if you could call it a soul.

"Come closer, please."

"Why do you keep asking me to come closer? Why don't you, huh?"

I hesitate. "I…I cannot…for reasons that are far too grim for me to elucidate on behalf of a young chap such as yourself.

His tone softens a bit. "I'm sure I can handle it."

I nibble on my lip nervously, and take a few steps forward. I can sense the edge of the prison, my hell. Energy of with boundless caustic power hums loudly from my end of hell. My hand hovers near the edge, and I see faint gold and scarlet sparks fluttering about. I inhale, and move my hand over the edge.

A thunderous reverberation blasts. Avaricious crimson infernos lick my hand, obscure smoke billows off, an intense throbbing settles upon my nerves, and I bite my lip to keep from screaming out. White-hot agony shoots up my arm and the flames blaze even brighter when my blood begins to evaporate from the heat, greedily lapping up my pain. The spoor of charred flesh and bone drifts through the air. Shortly, the coppery palate of my own blood fills my mouth. Expeditiously, I wrench my hand out, and scrutinize the mutilation.

I hardly notice the boy until he speaks again. "Miss, what happened? D-do you need help?"

"Nae, I do not need your aid." I say quietly, wiping away a few tears with my good hand.

"But, your hand is hurt! I-it's just a stump!"

He is correct; my hand was incinerated from the incandescent conflagration. It is little more than a stump now. However, it is no more than a mild hindrance to me. Unfazed, I gesture for him to hush. After a few moments, bones begin to form, muscle, tissue, sinew; tendons and skin begin to take shape. Soon enough, my hand restructured identically, not a vein out of place.

He gags a bit, yet his gaze did not tear away from my hand for a moment. "A witch…you really are a witch."

I smile rather wretchedly. "A witch who is constricted hither for perpetuity, and is pending her bereavement that will never arrive, lest she escapes such tormenting and mortifying afflict; and that witch is someone you know."

He takes a shaky breath. "And why is she trapped?"

I sneer. "She is trapped for a hunter has apprehended her. A hearty bounty placed on her head, and so voracity took over, and now she is trapped. It has been so long since she last spoke with a sentient being. She has lost her sense of time, and her knowledge of the world has faded."

Taking a few steps forward, just mere millimetres from the cage, he looks at me. "Is she sad?"

"Quite."

"Is she lonely?"

"So much that she cries."

He closes the gap and asks softly, "What is her name?"

I stay quiet. "You do not know her."

Have I fallen for him already? I often heard of soul-mates and such whimsical notions when I was fresh, but never thought that they were true. This blazing sensation in my heart is akin to affection, aye? No, is it…love? No! It cannot be! What if it is not returned? Then what?

He turns to leave, disappointment sags his shoulders. "Well, I guess I'll take my leave now."

Desperate for company, I shake my head. "Nae, lad, please stay hither. Please stay until…until midday. Please, I implore you to heed me."

He stares at me for a bit, before sighing in agreement. "Well, it wouldn't be very heroic if I left a lady like you alone."

Although I am a tad miffed at his words, I smile nonetheless. "Thank you, I am grateful for your company."

He sits down on the dirt and gives me another queer look. "But, you have to tell me a story first."

"Do pray tell, a story of what, lad?"

"Of how the witch got trapped."

**[This takes place in Ralinia, in a place called the Royal Duchy of Ekronia. Here's an excerpt of the description:**

**Duchy of Ekronia- Formal name: Royal Duchy of Ekronia. They have great relations with Illisione, despite having been annexed by them. The two nations are still considered separate though. They share good relations with Slevonia and Mera. They share a joint army with Illisione and specialize in land battles. They are farmers and lumberjacks since they have many forests. They have a large pagan culture.**

**If you have any more questions or requests for me to make on this AU, please feel free to do so in a PM or Review. I will make one more part for this story, so please wait. Thank you!**

**I Like You will be updated very, very soon! I am just in the process of finishing the last few paragraphs, and the editing process.]**


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